The All Beings Zen Sangha welcomes and affirms all who come here to seek the Way, and who will work toward respectful acceptance of others across our many differences, harmonizing the one and the many. May all beings be happy!
All Beings Zen Sangha is announcing a call to artists for the 2024 Sangha calendar project.
Submissions are now being accepted for drawings, paintings, photography, poetry, brief writings, and other forms in digital format.
Please submit up to three works for consideration via e-mail to Rev. Inryū Sensei at inryu@allbeingszen.org and to John Flanagan at emailjohnf@gmail.com
Tuesday Dharma Tea at 2PM for July 25, 2023 led by Zen’etsu Clay Crowell on the topic of one of our daily chants the “Enmei”. This first tea will look at the first 5 lines of the chant and Zen’etsu will join us again on August 1st to look at the final 5 lines of the chant.
Online only Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 842721
Dear Friends and Members of All Beings Zen Sangha,
With your support All Beings Zen Sangha continues to thrive. Recently, we completed our Spring practice period focusing on “Dogen’s Instructions for the Cook”. Activities included a book discussion and guest speaker Gesshin Claire Greenwood on being Tenzo at Zen Niso-do Temple in Japan. Other guest speakers over the past six months included Barbara Wenger, Yoku Okumura, Rehshin Bunce, and Jisan Tova Green. Our final Shuso Hossen Ceremony was well attended both in person and on zoom with prominent Senior Dharma teachers in attendance.
Our Tuesday afternoon teas have focused on a variety of themes from physical activity as meditation to artistic creation.
Seiryu Paula Chiplis on her experience of being Benji
Suzanne Ernhalt on the Summer Solstice
Myoshin Carlos Moura on Dogens writings on simplicity
Seido David Sarpal on Zen Practice and Artistic Creation
Betty Mooney on the Alexander Technique and Zen
Inryu Sensei on “What to Keep” and also on “Tassajara Sangha Week”
Nine sangha members traveled to Tassajara Zen Mountain Center for Sangha week.
ABZS now offers a weekly Meditation and Recovery Healing Circle on Sundays.
ABZS Sangha members demonstrated Oryoki practice and provided a food gift for attendees at the Smithsonian Asian Art Museum Film event.
Generosity is the practice of wholehearted giving and is the first paramita, a quality of mind of a Bodhisattva. Your contributions provide a humble stipend for our guiding teacher, support our practice spaces at the urban zendo and at Woodburn Hill Farm, and cover our other operational expenses. Regular monthly contributions are particularly supportive because they provide a broad base of dependable support for the Sangha, which enables us to plan for future expenses with a clear picture of our projected revenues, increasing our financial resilience. We ask that you donate only if you feel comfortable doing so at this time, and to place your circumstances first when deciding whether to contribute.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to join us for our services, you are always welcome. Our Sangha’s schedule page contains our service schedule and details on how to participate via Zoom
Also please be aware that Dokusan, a private meeting with our resident teacher (Inryū Sensei) to discuss practice, is available upon request, as well as practice discussions with our Practice Leaders.
Yours in the Dharma.
Shinren Mark Stone
All Beings Zen Sangha, President
Please find All Beings Zen Sangha Donation Page information here: https://allbeingszen.org/contact/
Please direct questions about one-time donations or becoming a monthly donor to: Shōryū Christopher Leader at treasurer@allbeingszen.org
Shōryū treasurer@allbeingszen.org can also be contacted about Estate planning and any questions regarding Charitable Giving accounts, including assistance in setting one up with your brokerage, and in-kind stock donations.
Tuesday Dharma Tea at 2PM for July 11, 2023 led by Betty Mooney on the topic of the “Alexander Technique and how it can support Zen practice” . Online only Use this link to join and if asked for password use 842721
Betty’s bio here
After majoring in dance at the University of Michigan and simultaneously obtaining a degree in Massage Therapy I proceeded to dance professionally and open my own massage practice. After several years I found myself suffering from back pain from giving massages and it was recommended to me that I study the Alexander Technique. I was very fortunate to study in Lincoln, Nebraska under Majorie Barstow who was trained by Alexander in England and was one of the first teachers in America. After several years of study and having resolved my back problems I began teaching the Alexander Technique at my dance studio in Charlottesville, VA. My meditation practice began with Thich Nhat Hahn at his monastery Deer Park and I attended several week long retreats when he would come to the United States to teach. I have continued my meditation practice with several teachers since the 1980’s: Tara Brach, Anam Thubten, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and currently Norman Fischer.
I presently have a private practice and teach meditation and resiliency retreats for the Compassionate Care Initiative at the University of Virginia Nursing School. Both the weekly sessions and the retreats have a mindful movement component based on the Alexander Technique.
I’ve always felt that because of my Alexander training the idea of being embodied in meditation practice was second nature for me and I found many overlapping concepts; concentration of the mind, awareness of the body and the practice of restraint or pausing to think in an embodied way before acting.
Tonight we will have a short service that includes chanting the Heart Sutra in English. Followed by one period of Zazen and a Dharma Talk offered by Inryū Sensei . Will we close with chanting the refuges. You are welcome to stay online following the chanting of the refuges to share greetings with the sangha.
Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program.
If you are asked for a password please use this 041285
Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.
Order of Service
Greeting by the Kokyo
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo
Heart Sutra in English
All Buddhas Chant
25 Minute Zazen Period
5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)
Dharma Talk
Four Great Vows
Refuges in Pali
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo
KAN ZEON
NA MU BUTSU
YO BUTSU U IN
YO BUTSU U EN
BUP PO SO EN
JO RAKU GA JO
CHO NEN KANZEON
BO NEN KANZEON
NEN NEN JU SHIN KI
NEN NEN FU RI SHIN
Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,
when deeply practicing prajña paramita,⨀
clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty
and thus relieved all suffering.
Shariputra,
form does not differ from emptiness,
emptiness does not differ from form.
Form itself is emptiness,
emptiness itself form.
Sensations, perceptions, formations,
and consciousness are also like this.
Shariputra,
all dharmas are marked by emptiness;
they neither arise nor cease,
are neither defiled nor pure,
neither increase nor decrease.
Therefore, given emptiness, there is
no form, no sensation, no perception,
no formation no consciousness;
no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue,
no body, no mind;
no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste,
no touch, no object of mind;
no realm of sight… no realm of mind consciousness
There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance…
neither old age and death,
nor extinction of old age and death;
no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path;
no knowledge and no attainment.
With nothing to attain,
a bodhisattva relies on prajña paramita,⨀
and thus the mind is without hindrance.
Without hindrance, there is no fear.
Far beyond all inverted views, one realizes nirvana.
All buddhas of past, present, and future
rely on prajña paramita ⨀ and thereby attain
unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.
Therefore, know the prajña paramita ⨀ as
the great miraculous mantra,
the great bright mantra,
the supreme mantra,
the incomparable mantra,
which removes all suffering
and is true, not false.
Therefore we proclaim the prajña paramita ⨀ mantra,
the mantra that says:
“Gate Gate ⨀ Paragate ⨀ Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.” ∅
THE FOUR GREAT VOWS
Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma Gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.
Refuges in Pali (Call and Response)
Accapella, inflections as follows:
➞Buddham Saranam Ga➚cha➘mi➞iii
BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
Tuesday Dharma Tea at 2PM for June 20, 2023 Led by Suzanne Erhnhalt on “The summer solstice”. online only. Use this link to sign in. If asked for a password use 629543. or go to www.allbeingszen.org to sign in on the day of the event. online only
Tuesday Dharma Tea at 2PM for June 13, 2023. Led by Seiryū Paula Chiplis on the topic of “My Experience of Being the Benji for the Spring 2023 Practice Period” Use this link to sign in. If asked for a password use 629543. or go to www.allbeingszen.org to sign in on the day of the event. online only
Tuesday: Dharma Tea at Two. 2:00pm-2:45pm: Our ABZS Ino Seidō David Sarpal will lead the conversation on the topic of “Zen Practice & Artistic Creation” Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 629543. The first 5 minutes we will have silent tea drinking. All are welcome.
Tonight we will have a short service that includes chanting the Heart Sutra in English. Followed by one period of Zazen and a Dharma Talk offered by Inryū Sensei . Will we close with chanting the refuges. You are welcome to stay online following the chanting of the refuges to share greetings with the sangha.
Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program.
If you are asked for a password please use this 794038
Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.
Order of Service
Greeting by the Kokyo
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo
Heart Sutra in English
All Buddhas Chant
25 Minute Zazen Period
5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)
Dharma Talk
Four Great Vows
Refuges in Pali
THE FOUR GREAT VOWS
Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma Gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo
KAN ZEON
NA MU BUTSU
YO BUTSU U IN
YO BUTSU U EN
BUP PO SO EN
JO RAKU GA JO
CHO NEN KANZEON
BO NEN KANZEON
NEN NEN JU SHIN KI
NEN NEN FU RI SHIN
Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,
when deeply practicing prajña paramita,⨀
clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty
and thus relieved all suffering.
Shariputra,
form does not differ from emptiness,
emptiness does not differ from form.
Form itself is emptiness,
emptiness itself form.
Sensations, perceptions, formations,
and consciousness are also like this.
Shariputra,
all dharmas are marked by emptiness;
they neither arise nor cease,
are neither defiled nor pure,
neither increase nor decrease.
Therefore, given emptiness, there is
no form, no sensation, no perception,
no formation no consciousness;
no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue,
no body, no mind;
no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste,
no touch, no object of mind;
no realm of sight… no realm of mind consciousness
There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance…
neither old age and death,
nor extinction of old age and death;
no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path;
no knowledge and no attainment.
With nothing to attain,
a bodhisattva relies on prajña paramita,⨀
and thus the mind is without hindrance.
Without hindrance, there is no fear.
Far beyond all inverted views, one realizes nirvana.
All buddhas of past, present, and future
rely on prajña paramita ⨀ and thereby attain
unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.
Therefore, know the prajña paramita ⨀ as
the great miraculous mantra,
the great bright mantra,
the supreme mantra,
the incomparable mantra,
which removes all suffering
and is true, not false.
Therefore we proclaim the prajña paramita ⨀ mantra,
the mantra that says:
“Gate Gate ⨀ Paragate ⨀ Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.” ∅
Refuges in Pali (Call and Response)
Accapella, inflections as follows:
➞Buddham Saranam Ga➚cha➘mi➞iii
BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
Tuesday: Dharma Tea at Two. 2:00pm-2:45pm: – What to keep? What to let go of? Let’s have a discussion about the meaning(s) of things. And discuss how and when to best decide what to keep and what to let go of? Inryū Sensei will lead the conversation. Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 629543
